Catching up with Danny Hultzen

Mariners pitching prospect Danny Hultzen threw a three-inning simulated game this afternoon at Safeco Field. He faced Henry Blanco, Humberto Quintero, Abraham Almonte and Carlos Triunfel, throwing 51 pitches while a good number of current Mariners and front office members looked on.

This will be his last appearance on a mound in the Pacific Northwest for some time as he will fly to Arizona to participate in Instructional League and then the Arizona Fall League to try and pick up some of the innings he missed this year while battling shoulder issues and reworking his mechanics. The hope is he will be ready to compete for a spot in the starting rotation this spring.

I caught up with Danny after his simulated game, and he went into detail about the changes he has made, why they were important to the health of his throwing shoulder, where he is with those changes, what it was like to face adversity for the first time in his career and what he expects to see from James Paxton on the hill in his Major League debut.